So what do you think are some of the new kitchen trends in homes these days?

I know that I see some pretty interesting things in some of the higher priced new homes I tour that are either in the final phases of construction or waiting for a buyer.

Okay… so high priced homes to me may be different from what you have in mind.

The homes that I’m gathering new trends and ideas from that are in my local vicinity (suburban Atlanta, GA) range in price from the $400’s to $1M+.

If you live in an area where home prices are astronomical, you will need to use a sliding scale to apply these ideas to your own home.

Anyway, that’s high-end ’round these parts and it’s where builders really start to offer homeowners something custom, somewhat unique, or new-on-the-market to get them to sign on the dotted line.

That’s not to say that you can’t borrow what you may find here and apply it to your home if it happens to fall above or below that price range. Create the kitchen that works for you and your family.

For a moment, let’s set aside what you and I think about kitchen trends.

Let’s hear it straight from a nationally recognized home improvement expert who lives and breathes this sort of stuff everyday — DIY Network’s Paul Ryan!

Trough Sinks & More

I spent some time interviewing Paul Ryan recently about kitchen trends and found out about some pretty cool stuff — including trough sinks.

I don’t think I’ve seen any trough sinks in the new homes that I’ve visited so far. But now that I know what one is, I probably will spot one or two in the coming weeks. You know how that goes… until you set out to see something in particular, you aren’t likely to see one.

My Interview With Paul Ryan

Following is an excerpt from my interview with Paul Ryan on August 28, 2007.

Randy: What kitchen trends do you think are hot right now?

Paul: Kitchens are becoming more of a central meeting area. You know, when I was growing up it was “Stay out of the kitchen. We’re making dinner. We’re making the food. Don’t come in here.” And now it’s just the opposite. I think that when people go to parties, they’re sort of graduating to the kitchen. A lot of people are going into the kitchen. So one of the things that you’re seeing is, actually, entertainment centers — and not just TVs, sometimes TVs and sound systems. People have the music pumped in from different parts of the house. You’re also seeing larger center islands that actually incorporate sinks — maybe a trough sink or something that’s not only useful for preparing foods but also a presentation area.

Randy: Right.

Paul: We did a kitchen recently that had this trough sink that was probably about 3 feet long and about a foot wide — just a beautiful, all-natural stone. And what they can do is they can actually put ice in there and serve pops or put some vegetables in there, as well. So I think that’s one of the trends that I’m seeing is people are graduating more toward actually going into the kitchen and enjoying it when they’re entertaining.

Randy: What about a couple of years ago? What trends did you see a couple of years ago that you’re not really seeing people choosing these days?

Paul: Let me think about that for a minute. So… trends that have been sharp and aren’t any more?

Randy: Is stainless steel still “in”?

Paul: Yeah, stainless steel is still in. You know, we did a few concrete countertops and I kind of thought that concrete countertops are something that were kind of old. But concrete countertops have been around for a long time, and I wasn’t sure how long that trend would continue. But it has continued on. I think that you’re seeing higher end appliances. We saw that a couple of years ago, but that trend has still continued.

Randy: I see that a lot more high-end appliances these days, as well.

Paul: Yeah, and I think what I see when I do kitchens is we tend to work with manufacturers that have the latest and greatest. They really want to spotlight some of the new products that they have. So what I’m seeing is people are really getting into are the different appliances and higher end countertops. People are still going for the custom cabinets and they’re spending a little money on some of the higher end stuff, too. So I haven’t seen many trends that are disappearing actually.

Other State-of-the-Art Appliances In Today’s Kitchens

Personally, one of the trends that I’m seeing that is really cool are farmhouse sinks — sometimes called apron sinks. I’ve seen a couple. In fact, the DIY Network’s Blog Cabin has one in its kitchen, as voted on by bloggers.

A few years ago, I rarely saw these huge, 4- and 6-burner Wolf gas ranges, SubZero refrigerator / freezers, and other high-end appliances that I often see today.

The point being that this is what people want — really nice kitchens with state-of-the-art appliances.

Also, as Paul mentioned to me earlier, kitchens have become the central meeting rooms, home offices, and entertainment areas in today’s homes. Therefore, people are willing to make improvements to their kitchen in order to make it the ultimate multi-tasking room in the house.

If you’re planning on renovating or remodeling your kitchen in the near future, please don’t let all of the choices out there confuse you. Have your budget and personal needs in mind then stick to it and you’ll end up with a project well worth your time and trouble.

Writing a home building blog that chronicles new homes during different phases of construction from a consumers’ point-of-view is rather unique and loads of fun. Basically, my tips are a collection of checklists for what I think should (and should not) go into building a quality home. So let’s have fun seeing what’s new in the housing market these days!

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